Door-operating means



May 4 1926.

D. M. LEE

DOOR OPERATING MEANS Filed March 26 .1.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I gwmmtoz .DJLZLee attain;

1 May 4, 1926.

D. M. LEE I DOOR OPERATING MEANS Filed March 26 I 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 4, 1926. a V

UNITED sra'rss DANIEL M. LEE, or onononrowiv, SOUTH CAROLINA.

DOOR-OPERATING ME vs.

Application filed March 26, 1924. Serial N 0. 702,090.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, DANIEL M. LEE, a citizen of the "United States, residing at Georgetown, in the county of Georgetown and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Operating Means, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

My invention relates to mechanically op erated doors or closure elements, for use in connection with garages, or the like.

An important object of the'invention is to provide means whereby the door may be automatically opened when an automobile or other vehicle is driven into the garage, and then closed, and also opened and closed when the automobile is driven out of the garage.

A further object of the invention is to provide means to lock the door closed when the garage is empty.

. A further'object of the invention is to provide means to prevent the doors from being opened, .from the exterior, when the automobile is withinthe garage.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the above mentioned character, which is simple in construction, strong, durable and reliable in operation.

Otherobjects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of' shaft 23 to the right is journaledin a bracket the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a door apparatus embodying my invention,

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2*2'of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sec tion taken on llne 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a detail vertical section taken on line 14 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a detail-section taken on line 55 of'Figure 4:, and,

*igure- Bis a perspective view of a lock devlce.

In thedrawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 10 designates a garage or other building, as a whole,

having its front end open, and adapted to be closed by doors 11. The garage is equipped at the rear end with the usual side door, whereby access may be had thereto,

as is well known. While I prefer to employ two doors 11, the invention is not restricted to this practice, as satisfactory results could be obtained by'the use of one large door. In the claims, the term door means is intended to cover either one or two doors.

The doors 11 are connected with the front end of the garage by means of hinges 12, to swing horizontally, and these hinges are preferably of the ball bearingv type; Rigidly attached to the outer side of the left door 11, Figure 1, at its top, is a bracket 13, carrying a verticalshaft 13', in alinement with the'hinges 12. This shaft has abeveled gear .14, rigidly mounted thereon, engaging a idly attached to the opposite endof the shaft 16 and engages a beveled gear 19,-rigijdly mounted upon, a shaft 20.' This shaft 20pis in alinement with the adjacent hinges I12 and is rigidly attached to a'bracket 21, which is rigidly attached to the right door 11,

' Figure 1, at the top thereof. Brackets 22 are rigidly attached to the doors'l l, near their lower ends, and carry depending shafts 23. The shaft 23 to the left is journaled in avertical stationary bearing 24, while the 25, fixed to the garage. I

As more clearly shown n F igure 5, a

beveled gear 26, is rigidly mounted upon the 30, which, may be suitably located within the garage. The drive shaft 28 has a gear-31 rigidly mounted thereon, within the housing, and this gear engages a rack bar 32, reciprocating within the housing, and projecting through an opening 33 in the front wall of the garage. gear teeth 34. The rack bar 32 is moved rearwardly or inwardly by a retractile coil spring 35, of suitable stiffness. having connection at its forward end with a bracket 36, rigidly attached to the rack bar. 32. The rear end of this spring is attached to a stationary horizontal arm 37, which is rigidly 1 attached'to the housing, as shown.

The numeral 38 designates a trip or depression element as a whole, which is ar- This rack bar is equipped with ranged at the forward end of the garage,

bodies an intermediate preferably rigid wheel engaging section 39, and inclined outer sections 40, hinged thereto at 41. The intermediate section has pivotal connection, at 42, with horizontal arms 43, carried by vertically swinging cranks 44, arranged therebeneath. These cranks 44are rigidly connected with rock shafts 45, journaled in brackets 46. The rock shafts 45 are provided with upstanding cranks 47, having pivotal connection with links 48 and 49, which are preferablyrigid, and having their inner. ends pivotally connected with the op- .posite ends of the rack bar 32. It is thus seen that when an automobile is passing through the opening of the garage, it Wlll depress the intermediate section 39 on the ,trip element, and this depression causes the trip element to move longitudinally outwardly. This occurs when the automobile is .moved into the garage or is belng driven out of the same, the trip element moving outwardly in both instances. When the trip element 38 moves outwardly, the rack bar 32 moves outwardly and this movement rotates vthegear .31 and its shaft 28. This rotates the beveled gear 27 which rotates the beveled gear 26. The beveled gear 26 being rigidly attached to the door 11 tothe left causes it I to swing outwardly, and the door 11 to the rright swings outwardly, as it is geared thereto. When the pressure is moved from the trip element, the spring 35 brings the rack bar 32 rearwardly, and the doors are closed.

The doors are not equipped with the usual lock or latch, and it is desirable that they be held against undue rattling or restricted movements, which might be caused by the wind or the like. For this purpose, I pro- .vide means for locking, the rack bar 32 against outward longitudinal movement, when the doors are. closed, and the trip element 38 is elevated. This means embodies a reciprocatory bolt 49, operating through a stationary guide 50, and movable into engagement with the teeth 34. This bolt has pivotal connection at its lower end with a crank 51, carried by a rock shaft 52, journaled within bearings 53. The rock shaft carries at its opposite end a crank 54, provided with a horizontal arm 55, engaging above the intermediate section 39. When this intermediate section rises, it turns the rock shaft 52 and the bolt 49 engages the teeth 34. This bolt may be released from the exterior of the garage, by the manual depression of the trip element.

It is desired to provide means to render it impossible. to open the doors from the exterior thereof, when the garage is occupied by an automobile, and to accomplish this I engaging element embodies a rock shaft 57,

journaled in a bracket 58. This rock shaft carries an upstanding crank 59 having a horizontal arm 60, to engage behind, the wheel of the automobile. The rock shaft 57 carries an upstanding crank 61, pivotally connected with a link 62, in turn pivotally connected with the rear crank 47.

For the purpose of illustration, I have shown the opening beneath the doors 11 closed by a beam or sill 63, which may preferably be formed of concrete and this sill has openings 64 for receiving the wheels of the automobile, the trip clement'38 being arranged in one of these openings. It is. to be understood that the invention is in no sense restricted to this particular use of sill arrangement, as the same may be dispensed with, if desired. a M

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

With the doors 11 closed, when the automobile approaches these doors, it passes upon the outer end of the. trip element and. depresses it. .When thisoccurs, thev bolt 49 drops by gravity, from engagement with the rack bar teeth 34, and ofcourse the arm 55 could be mechanically connected with the trip element, if desired. The rack bar 32 now moves forwardly and the doors are opened. The automobile passesinto the garage and when it is driven off of the rear end of the trip element the spring 35 moves the rack bar 32 inwardly and the doors are closed. When the automobile is moved to the inner end of the garage, its Wheel engages in front of the arm 60, and the rock shaft 57 is locked against turning. movement.

The trip element cannot now bedepressed from the exterior of the garage, since the rack bar 32 cannot move forwardly. When it is desired to drive the automobile out of the garage the forward movement of the same depresses the trip element 38 and the doors are opened, which again close when the automobile passes from these trip. elements. I a

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred embodiment of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims. T i

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In door operating means, door means, means including a rack bar to open the door means, a spring to close the door means, a trip element to move the rack bar in one direction, a latch to engage with the rack bar to hold it against movement, and means operated by the trip means to release the latch.

2. In door operating means, door means, means including a rack bar to open the door means, a spring to'close the door means, a trip element to move the rack bar in one direction, a latch to engage with the rack bar to hold it against movement, means operated by the trip means to release the latch, and a car engaging latch device connected with the rack bar to hold it against movement when engaging with a part of a ve-' hicle.

3. In door operating means, door means, means including a substantially horizontal rack bar to open the door means, said rack bar projecting upon the inner side of the door means, a trip element connected with the rack bar to move the same when the trip element is depressed, a stationary substantially horizontal arm arranged upon the inner side of the door means near the substantially horizontal rack bar, a retractile coil spring connected with the rack bar and stationar arm to move the rack bar in one direction, and latch means to hold the door means in the closed position, said latch means including a part engaging the trip element.

4. In door opening means, door means, means including a rack bar to open the door means, a trip element to move the rack bar in one direction, and a vehicle engaging lock device connected With the rack bar to prevent its movement when such device is engaging a part of the vehicle.

5. In door operating means, door means, a trip element having a part to be depressed, operative connection between the trip element and door means whereby the door means is moved by the trip element, means to normally look the door means in the closed position, and means whereby the locking means releases the door means upon the depression of the trip element.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

DANIEL M. LEE. 

